The initiative, driven by València Sostenible in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the The Hut project, and REDENARQUI, focuses on the sustainable transformation of urban spaces in response to high temperatures.

The event, part of the European project EncerCmed (funded by the Interreg Euro-MED program), will begin at 08:30 AM. A hackathon is a collaborative work dynamic where multidisciplinary teams develop innovative solutions within a limited time.

The challenge will be to design nature-based urban proposals to reduce the impact of extreme heat in public and community spaces in Valencia, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.

Undergraduate and master's students in Architecture, Urbanism, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Design, Innovation, and Technology will work in teams, mentored by technical staff and specialists from UPV and València Sostenible. Final proposals will be evaluated by an expert jury.

The Councilor for Climate Improvement and Energy Efficiency, Carlos Mundina, highlighted that "this hackathon represents an opportunity to involve young talent in building a more resilient, healthy Valencia, prepared for the effects of increasingly frequent and intense summer heatwaves".

Mundina also emphasized that "from the City Council, we continue to support European projects like EncerCmed, which drive innovative solutions for urban heat and advance towards a social and sustainable energy transition in our neighborhoods".

The EncerCmed project aims to develop innovative models integrating energy communities, renewable energies, and nature-based solutions to combat energy poverty and the urban heat island effect in Mediterranean urban areas. In Valencia, the pilot project focuses on actions in educational centers in La Malva-rosa and Natzaret.